


The Path of the Samurai

by okita



Category: Gintama
Genre: Non-binary character, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 11:45:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4099771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okita/pseuds/okita
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shinpachi wants to stay true to herself, but what does that entail?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Path of the Samurai

The path of the samurai. A path lined with honor, bravery, pride, and selflessness. A path that Shinpachi dreamed of following. A path taken almost exclusively by men.

 

Ever since Shinpachi was young, Shinpachi idealized samurai. Though this was no longer a time of the reign of samurai, Shinpachi was completely taken with their ideals. Shinpachi knew that this was who she wanted to be. Shinpachi was also painstakingly aware of how centered on masculinity samurai culture was. Historically, samurai had only ever been men and even today the Shinsengumi, the only government sanctioned group of samurai in Edo, did not accept anyone but men.

 

Women did have an important place in samurai culture, but that place was in the home. Shinpachi respected the strength samurai women had in protecting and running their household, but Shinpachi didn’t want to be restricted to one place. Shinpachi wanted to go out to fight, protecting what’s important to her in the battlefield.

 

Shinpachi was sitting in her home one day, moping over this issue, when she heard a door slide open. She looked over, expecting to find her sister, but instead seeing Kyuubei.

 

“Ah, Kyuubei, sis isn’t home,” she said weakly. Kyuubei nodded.

 

“I know, she said I could come over while waiting for her to come home from work,” Kyuubei said. They sat across from Shinpachi and stared at her. “Are you okay?” Shinpachi blinked.

 

“A-ah, of course I am!” she said quickly, trying to reassure Kyuubei. Kyuubei looked uncertain.

 

“Are you sure? Do you need someone to talk to?” they asked. Shinpachi looked unsure, but nodded.

 

“Actually, I think you’re the person who may be able to help the most…” Shinpachi fidgeted. “Okay, so… You know it’s my dream to be a samurai. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to be. But, I feel like by being one I’ll just be reaffirming what people already see me as; a man.” Kyuubei nodded. “I don’t know what to do… I want to be true to who I am, but I don’t know what that entails. Becoming a samurai, or being a woman…”

 

“I don’t see why those would be mutually exclusive. I can understand worrying about how people perceive you, but it’s not impossible to be both a woman and a samurai,” Kyuubei responded after a moment of thinking over Shinpachi’s words. “I’m not going to tell you it won’t change how people perceive you, because I know first hand that isn’t true. When people started seeing me as a woman, it completely changed how they saw me, how they fought against me. I’ve tried explaining how they should treat me the same as they always have and they have trouble understanding even that. But that doesn’t have to stop you. It takes a certain strength to be able to not let other people’s perceptions stop you from being who you are. And, Shinpachi, I believe you have that strength.”

 

Shinpachi sat there, staring at Kyuubei after they finished their speech. “T-thank you…” she said. Kyuubei’s face flushed slightly.

 

“I-it’s no problem… Ah, I think you’re sister’s here. See you, Shinpachi,” they stood up, taking their leave. Shinpachi sat, thinking through Kyuubei’s words. Shinpachi wasn’t sure she had this strength that Kyuubei was talking about, but she was sure of one thing. Kyuubei believed in her. And that was a good start.


End file.
